Ever asked ChatGPT to create something “in your brand style” and gotten back something that looks nothing like your brand? Portland agency Territorial figured out why—and what to do about it.
“We did this demo where we put a brand into ChatGPT’s hands,” says Topher Burns, Partner, Brand Strategy at Territorial. “It absolutely shredded the consistency.”
Here’s the problem: Your brand guidelines were written for people. But now AI tools are using them too. And AI doesn’t read between the lines the way humans do.
Why Your Guidelines Don’t Work for Robots
When you tell a designer “keep it minimal,” they understand what you mean. When you tell AI the same thing? Who knows what you’ll get.
That’s what Territorial calls “bot-friendly branding”—basically, writing guidelines that both humans and AI can follow. While people are good at filling in gaps and understanding context, AI needs super specific instructions.
“It’s not just designers, it’s not just marketers. Sometimes it’s going to be a robot that is digesting the information in your brand guidelines,” notes Robert Balog, Partner, Creative at Territorial. “So how do you make sure that you can appeal to all those audiences?”
Take their client Suzy, a research company that creates reports on everything from soft drinks to schools. Instead of letting AI create random images for each topic, Territorial built specific instructions (they call them “prompt stacks”) that keep everything looking consistently like the Suzy brand.
Why PR Matters More Now
Here’s something interesting they discovered: AI search tools pay a lot of attention to what real people say online—things like Reddit discussions, reviews, and social media posts.
“AI search really gives preference to human feedback,” Burns explains. “Things like Reddit reviews, social chatter—these are becoming even more important.”
This means PR teams have a bigger role to play. They’re the ones who help generate real conversations about brands online, and those human conversations influence how AI understands and presents your brand.
“AI isn’t replacing jobs, but people using AI are replacing people who don’t,” shares Aydan Sarikaya, Partner, Business Strategy at Territorial, quoting a recent podcast guest.
Working With AI, Not Against It
Territorial isn’t anti-AI. They even have their own chatbot named Terry (who apparently has some wild tendencies, but that’s another story). Their point is practical: AI is great at scaling ideas you’ve already created. It’s not great at creating new ideas from scratch.
“If you’re asking AI to innovate for you, it’s just going to give you the most middle-of-the-road version of what’s been done before,” Burns notes.
What This Means for Your Brand
The takeaway is pretty straightforward: If your team (or clients, or partners) are using AI tools to create content, your brand guidelines need to work for both humans and machines. That means being way more specific about things like:
- Exact color values and when to use them
- Specific image styles with clear examples
- Detailed voice and tone instructions
- Clear dos and don’ts
It’s not about fighting the future. It’s about making sure your brand stays consistent no matter who—or what—is creating with it.
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Contact: topher@weareterritorial.com
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